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The purpose of this essay is to examine how a comfortable paradigm for explaining the spread of a major technology began cracking, shaken by new findings. I do this by, first, summarizing familiar explanations for the diffusion of computing, as much recently historical research still depends on it. Then I describe problems-cracks-appearing in these assumptions, followed by a proposed modification of how to view IT's diffusion-the why and how-an an update more in line with current historiography. The conclusion of this essay identifies implications for research on other technologies, especially those that emerged during the Second Industrial Revolution still unfolding, many of which are morphing into quasi-computers themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this essay is to examine how a comfortable paradigm for explaining the spread of a major technology began cracking, shaken by new findings. I do this by, first, summarizing familiar explanations for the diffusion of computing, as much recently historical research still depends on it. Then I describe problems-cracks-appearing in these assumptions, followed by a proposed modification of how to view IT's diffusion the why and how an an update more in line with current historiography. The conclusion of this essay identifies implications for research on other technologies, especially those that emerged during the Second Industrial Revolution still unfolding, many of which are morphing into quasi-computers themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structured adaptive mesh refinement (SAMR) techniques provide an effective means for dynamically concentrating computational effort and resources to appropriate regions in the application domain. However, due to their dynamism and space-time heterogeneity, scalable parallel implementation of SAMR applications remains a challenge. This paper investigates hybrid runtime management strategies and presents an adaptive hierarchical multipartitioner (AHMP) framework. AHMP dynamically applies multiple partitioners to different regions of the domain, in a hierarchical manner, to match the local requirements of the regions. Key components of the AHMP framework include a segmentation-based clustering algorithm (SBC) that can efficiently identify regions in the domain with relatively homogeneous partitioning requirements, mechanisms for characterizing the partitioning requirements of these regions, and a runtime system for selecting, configuring, and applying the most appropriate partitioner to each region. Further, to address dynamic resource situations for long-running applications, AHMP provides a hybrid partitioning strategy (HPS) that involves application-level pipelining, trading space for time when resources are sufficiently large and underutilized, and an application-level out-of-core strategy (ALOC), trading time for space when resources are scarce in order to enhance the survivability of applications. The AHMP framework has been implemented and experimentally evaluated on up to 1,280 processors of the IBM SP4 cluster at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application-level multicast is a promising alternative to IP multicast due to its independence from the IP routing infrastructure and its flexibility in constructing the delivery trees. The existing overlay multicast systems either support a single data source or have high maintenance overhead when multiple sources are allowed. They are inefficient for applications that require any-source multicast with varied host capacities and dynamic membership. This paper proposes ACOM, an any-source capacity-constrained overlay multicast system, consisting of three distributed multicast algorithms on top of a non-DHT overlay network with simple structures (random overlay with a non-DHT ring) that are easy to manage as nodes join and depart. The nodes have different capacities, and they can support different numbers of direct children during a multicast session. No explicit multicast trees are maintained on top of the overlay. The distributed execution of the algorithms naturally defines an implicit, roughly balanced, capacity-constrained multicast tree for each source node. We prove that the system can deliver a multicast message from any source to all nodes in expected O(logC n) hops, which is asymptotically optimal, where c is the average node capacity and m is the number of members in a multicast group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that shows a design and implementation of a system which leverages interactive scripting environment to the needs of scientific computing. The computer system allows translation of high level script codes to highly optimized native language executables which can be ported to parallel systems with high performance hardware and potential lack of the scripting language interpreter. Furthermore, the results are given to show various usage scenarios which differ in terms of invested programmer's effort and resulting performance gains.

The article presents a study that describes the overall design and architecture of the pMatlab performance with the equivalent Message Passing Interface (MPI) codes. In this study, the researchers present implementation data collected from a sample of real pMatlab applications drawn from the approximately one hundred computer users at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Furthermore, these data show that users are typically able to go from a serial code to an efficient pMatlab code in about 3 hours while changing less than 1 percent of their code.

The article presents a study that describes a new approach to locality awareness, which focuses on data distributions in high-productivity Chapel language. Here, the researchers present an object-oriented framework that allows the explicit specification of the mapping of elements in a collection to memory units, the control of the arrangement of elements within such units, the definition of sequential and parallel iteration over collections, and the formulation of specialized allocation policies as required for advanced applications.

Trillions of dollars are annually spent on the development and implementation of information technology within the United States and around the world. On average, roughly 50% of such systems are considered failures or fall short of meeting the expectations set forth by management. The lost productivity and high costs associated with these shortcomings necessitate the identification of alternative frameworks for facilitating the successful acceptance and continued internalization of new technologies. Internalization is defined as the effective and continued use of a technology over time. As such, this paper introduces a conceptual model for examining the effect of trust and planned change initiatives on technology adoption behavior. We propose that technology trust and interpersonal trust, when coupled with planned change initiatives, lead to greater technology adoption and internalization. A series of propositions are introduced and examined between trust, planned change, technology adoption, and internalization. Implications and recommendations for future explorations and development are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the relationship of the quality of the software products produced and the tools and materials used as reflected in the whole process of designing and manufacturing. Reflection in action and on action are learning concepts that enable developers to view software engineering as a conversation with the design materials. Meanwhile, design principles are intended to guide the creation of models and codes. There are times that the products and/or its presentation is found to be on the crowded spot and this situation needs reflection. This could either be due to a bad layout and lacking presentation. On the other hand, it could also be due to a bad partitioning of responsibilities among classes. INSETS: Flow, Performance, and Reflection in Action;Backtalk versus Feedback.

The article talks about software development optimization through software virtualization, a powerful mechanism for running multiple operating systems, as well as multiple applications on different software platforms on the same physical hardware. Virtualization approaches can be varied. These approaches include the emulation or full system virtualization, the paravirtualization, the native virtualization and the operating system-level virtualization. Virtualization can save significant capital expenditure in test infrastructure. Furthermore, it saves executing 30 percent of the product tests in the desktop environment.

This paper describes content syndication and its applications for libraries, information centres and publishers, and highlights it as a new opportunity considering the scant developments in this field. Further, it explains how syndication, as applied to Temaria, a portal of Spanish journals on library and information science, makes it easier to track an author or to keep up–to–date on specific subjects, amongst other possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional repositories have become an important means of publishing, disseminating, and preserving the digital information of organisations. The majority of them run on open software tools. Institutional repository projects are being carried out following an evaluation of the software's features. Nevertheless, the evaluations to date have been comparative, focussing on the features offered by each tool, rather than on other factors. In order to overcome this limitation, this work analyses the different published models for evaluating institutional repository software, studies the approach adopted in each case, and proposes a model. This model is oriented toward the study and definition of informational–documental processes, the users, the characteristics of the collections, and the context of the project in which it is framed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The architecture and design of the IBM eServer™ BladeCenter® system make it an ideal platform for many information technology (IT) solutions. Its high availability, modularity, flexible infrastructure integration, and on demand configuration options have prompted developers within IBM and in end-user IT organizations to create solutions tailored to a particular industry or function. This paper describes the BladeCenter system in the application of several of these solutions--their target enterprises, end-users, and key benefits. High-performance and scientific clusters, branch-office-in-a-box, financial services, and hostedclient solutions are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SymTA/S is a system-level performance and timing analysis approach based on formal scheduling analysis techniques and symbolic simulation. The tool supports heterogeneous architectures, complex task dependencies and context aware analysis. It determines system-level performance data such as end-to-end latencies, bus and processor utilisation, and worst-case scheduling scenarios. SymTA/S furthermore combines optimisation algorithms with system sensitivity analysis for rapid design space exploration. The paper gives an overview of current research interests in the SymTA/S project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconfigurable computing is becoming increasingly attractive for many applications. This survey covers two aspects of reconfigurable computing: architectures and design methods. The paper includes recent advances in reconfigurable architectures, such as the Alters Stratix II and Xilinx Virtex 4 FPGA devices. The authors identify major trends in general-purpose and special-purpose design methods. It is shown that reconfigurable computing designs are capable of achieving up to 500 times speedup and 70% energy savings over microprocessor implementations for specific applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in information technology have made Internet-based collaboration much easier. It is now possible for a software team to draw on talented developers from around the world without the need to gather them together physically. However, being able to tap into a large pool of talent does not guarantee success. Software managers have to be able to manage these distributed teams. They need to define sharper processes and ensure that they are followed. They also need to better control project execution. To do so effectively, we have developed a tool that integrates features for both project and process management. Existing project management tools were originally designed for projects on a single site. Many of them do not provide the features necessary to support cooperative multi-site software projects or process management. We have developed a tool, called IPPM, which supports these features. IPPM, which integrates features for process and project management, resolves differences between existing project and process tools, and provides a number of unique features to support multi-site development. IPPM has been implemented and used by several development teams working in different regions in Hong Kong and Mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software engineering is an often used term to describe the activities, methods, and tools of large scale software development. There is an ongoing discussion whether Software Engineering can be considered as an engineering discipline. In many respects the development of software shares common properties of other engineering disciplines. In contrast to “classical” engineering fields, theories, questions, and approaches from the social sciences are more important than those from the natural sciences. This is investigated here by comparing the situation found in software engineering with several concepts of engineering in general. Three viewpoints are used to guide this comparison: one is a social stereotype of engineers; the second is the organization of engineering profession organizations; and the third are capabilities which the engineers of the future will need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are three important considerations in DSS development. (1) Decision making involves both primary and secondary processes, where secondary processes concern selecting appropriate decision making tools, approaches, and information. (2) In making decisions, humans are subject to numerous cognitive limitations. (3) In order for end users to develop DSS, sophisticated, problem-oriented DSS generators must replace technically demanding DSS tools. These three considerations can be effectively addressed by including expert system components in DSS. An expert DSS for statistical analysis is proposed and used as an illustration. Decision making scenarios are used to indicate the potential of such a system. In particular, it appears that an expert DSS can provide support for both primary and secondary decision making and help ameliorate human cognitive limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the usage pattern and sources of assistance for personal computer (PC) users in twelve organizations. The study found that PCs attract new computer users and the extent of PC usage was correlated with prior computer knowledge. The most important reason for using PCs was for specific professional work. Although managers spend fewer hours than their staff using their PCs, there was no relationship between the diversity of applications and organizational position. Overall, users were satisfied with their PCs, but not with the information they obtained from the written sources (i.e. manuals, documents, and journals). The best sources of information for PC users were their own colleagues and their organization's information systems staff. Moreover, "lead users" played an important role as consultants to other users. Two divisions of a large manufacturing firm in our sample introduced PCs concurrently but under different policies. The two units provided a natural setting for assessing the impact of the technology. in the division that underwent extensive planning prior to the introduction of this technology, we found that users made significantly more use of internal consulting. In contrast, in the other division, where management had adopted an "individual initiatives and maximum freedom" policy for introducing this technology, the users made significantly less use of internal consulting, approaching outside vendors instead even though they felt the information obtained from the vendors was significantly lower in quality. Implications for the management of personal computer technology are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the most recent editions of ISO 2788 and ISO 5964, the international standards for monolingual and multilingual thesauri. A scope of ISO 25964 is provided. A working group called WG8 has been established to undertake the project. The standards bodies of 11 countries are represented on it. The actions of WG8 are discussed including its review of the drafts comprising the existing parts of BS8723 and collection of proposals of all the members for amending and enhancing them. Two mini-groups are thrashing out the more demanding challenges.

The article presents insights and views of the author concerning the nature and purpose of class characterization in the context of computer software industry. The author discusses the role stereotypes which help characterize initial candidate objects and communicate the ideas. The stereotypes presented by the author includes information holder, structurer, service provider, controller, and coordinator. Class characterization is a key step of object design. It serves two purposes: to clarify at a glance some important aspects of a class's expected behavior and to communicate its design intent to others.

The article talks about how to gain professional advancement from open source software development. A professional can benefit from an open source software by fixing and improving open source documents. Furthermore, he can also join open source projects in order to impress and interact with highly respected professionals. The professional can also gain by behaving like a system administrator who selects, configures, connects, and tunes subsystems into a robust and efficient larger part. In such a way, he gets rid of the typical classroom or corporate development setting.

The article features the challenges that outweigh the benefits of global software development (GSD). GSD has been the most critical part of running almost any business and management executives often resort to GSD in solving management problems. However, there are no evidences that this strategy has paid off. In fact, it has been found to be the worst solution to management problem. The strategy is not cost effective due to the large hidden costs that include travel time and expense for management oversight, review meetings, and training. Its cycle time makes it hard to plan and track projects that require large amounts of testing because testing time is unpredictable.

The article features the categories of global product development. The first of the four categories is the job-shop model, a framework wherein the product architecture and design stay at the home while coding, testing, and sustenance engineering are sent to lower-wage countries. Then the second is the component-responsibility model, which involves taking an architectural component or a subproduct and moving it lock, stock, and barrel to another development center. The third is the product-incubation model and the fourth is the business-incubation model.

The article reflects on the increasing concern over the problem in computer security system. The author has explained some of the promising solutions initiated by software developers, including automated password reset, and the "Firefox" software. This notwithstanding, he noted some of the more "unseen" consequences. Noting on the confusing interplay of technology, policy, and human behavior, he has instead recommended full responsibility among IT staff the protection of users, and the application of flexible security policies that best serve their goals using whatever information technologies available. The idea is to consider the issue as a developmental problem, rather than view it as static, timeless and universal.

This article reports on the transformation of the world's computer society focusing on the vision that they want to be the leading provider of technical information, community services, and personalized services for the world's computing professionals. In the Computer Society, several critical reviews of in-house project management approaches, software development methods, and business practices were conducted in 2004, under the leadership of past presidents Willis King and Steve Diamond and president-elect Jerry Engel, assisted by external consultants and volunteer experts. The issues discussed in this article include software engineering portfolio and information technology portfolio and the celebration of the society's 60th anniversary.